During hot air balloon races in Reno/Sparks, avoid Quality Inn

***The next time you consider vacationing in Reno/Sparks, Nevada
during the hot air balloon races, you may want to seriously consider
avoiding the Quality Inn, Sparks, Nevada as a place to stay.

***During a recent stay there, I experienced lax security, repeatedly
malfunctioning room keys, unreliable airport shuttle service and a
hotel management that was decidedly amateur. In a phrase: never
again. Here are the details:

***LAX SECURITY: Not only was the lock on the hotel's back door was
broken the night I stayed there. When I walked in at 3 a.m., someone
had propped open the hotel's back door with a garbage can.
Essentially, anyone or anything that happened to wander off nearby
Interstate 80 at that time of night had easy access to the hotel.

***PLASTIC ROOM KEYS THAT DON'T WORK: The plastic key for my room
failed four times during my stay ~~ twice when I was attempting to get
into my room, and twice when I was attempting to access the pool area.
Each time, I had to be issued a new plastic room key ~~ a colossal
waste of time.

***DREARY POOL AREA: I managed to find a decent lounge chair among the
mismatched selection surrounding the pool. Other guests had to settle
for chairs with straps missing. Another disappointment: the pool area
is surrounded by a number of trucks for Allied, Inc. and other
companies. While pool-side, I heard many of these big rigs farting to
life before heading out for their daily runs.

***UNINSPIRING VISTAS: The hotel is surrounded on three sides by
factory-like rooftops as far as the eye can see. Out front isn't much
better: Interstate 80, with cars and trucks zooming by 24/7.

***UNRELIABLE SHUTTLE SERVICE: While the hotel advertises free airport
shuttle service, their tune changes once you actually land. Turns
out, they'll send a shuttle out for you ~~ they just won't tell you
how long it will take get there. When I pressed the hotel clerk on
this issue, asking if it would take 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour or
more, his response was "I can't tell you."

***AMATEUR MANAGEMENT: My complaints to the hotel management about my
repeatedly failing room key and the unreliable shuttle service fell on
deaf ears. In the end, all I received was a "we could care less"
attitude.

***NO HELP FROM THE QUALITY INN 800 NUMBER: Often, a substandard
franchise hotel can be brought into line with a call to the
franchise's national customer relations number. Not so with Quality
Inn. The franchise's policy regarding complaints: we'll send the
hotel a letter by U.S. Mail about your complaint, and get back to you.
Translation: forget about getting a problem addressed while you're
actually staying at a Quality Inn hotel.